1. Field
The present disclosure relates to extendable conveyor systems, and more particularly pertains to a new telescoping conveyor drive system for extending and retracting the movable portion of an extendable conveyor system with respect to the stationary portion of the conveyor system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Extendable conveyor systems have been employed to, for example, place granular or crushed materials in distributed locations to maximize the amount of material in a stockpile as well as minimize material segregation. The extendable conveyor systems typically include a section of the conveyor belt and supporting structure that is relatively stationary, and a section of the conveyor belt and supporting structure that is movable with respect to the stationary portion.
Various systems have been employed to move the movable portion of the conveyor with respect to the stationary portion of the conveyor. A common approach involves the use of a system of cables that pull the movable portion of the conveyor outwardly from the stationary portion of the conveyor. The cable or cables may be positioned on a system of pulleys that guide the cable with respect to the portions of the conveyor system. A significant drawback of the cable system is that the cable is subject to wear, and can break and fail, which releases the movable portion of the conveyor and can allow the movable portion to freely fall and retract into the stationary portion unless some emergency braking system is employed. Further, the cables stretch over time and as a result have significant maintenance requirements.
It is therefore believed that due to the limitations of the systems employing cables for extending the movable portion of the extendable conveyor, there is a need for an improved drive system for extending and retracting the movable portion of the conveyor systems that is not subject to the same chance for failure as the cable-based system, and if a failure does occur, impedes or prevents unintended free movement of the movable portion.